Fans attending home Charlotte baseball contests in 2013 will
notice new additions to Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium. A $55,000 renovation
project has been completed to the home side of the stadium in time for the
start of the season.

The most notable piece came with the additions to the
first-base bullpen, which was expanded to the retaining wall and replaces the
former picnic area on the right field side of the facility. One of the four
mounds in the turf bullpen was removed, but three batting cages were installed,
all with turf surfaces. The players will have an additional 2,200 feet of space
for practice, development and warm-up in that area. One of the cages will have
a pitching machine installed for players to hit balls at game speed. A
temporary mound can be placed in one of the cages for additional
pitching/warm-up space, while netting can be pulled out to an area for players
to hit off the tee in additional turfed space. This cage project cost $45,000
and was finished in January. Money was raised through donations to the Grand
Slam Club, as well as other "in-kind" gifts.

"We are thankful to have Hayes Stadium and Phillips Field
and the fan amenities that were part of the original construction back in 2007,"
said Charlotte head coach Loren Hibbs, who begins 2013 as his 21st
with the program. "The overall goal is to get our facility to the point where
we can host an NCAA Regional. These two projects get us a step closer. Our
batting cage area has needed an upgrade for many years and the new
configuration will help us with player development and recruiting."

The additions to the Charlotte bullpen will alleviate teams
having to the share the batting cages down below the left field side of the
stadium. The visiting team will have exclusive use of that area during the full
warm-up period, giving each team ample time in the cages before games.

In each dugout, the bench area has been renovated to include
space under the benches, giving teams more storage space for gear in the
dugouts. An additional protective railing was also installed in front of the
two dugouts, expanding each by 500 square feet, providing teams with more room
for getting around and space to observe the game. The cost of these renovations
came in at $10,000.

The improvements will be most welcome for the upcoming 2013
Atlantic 10 Conference Baseball Championships, to be contested on campus
starting Wednesday, May 22.

"We really wanted to make the Atlantic 10 tournament
experience as easy and as positive as possible for the players and coaches. The
expanded cages and dugouts will allow that to happen."

This year's conference tournament will feature four games on
Wednesday and Thursday, with three scheduled to play Friday before Saturday's
noon championship, with a potential 3:30 "if necessary" game in the
double-elimination format.

"Our future move to Conference USA in 2014 has put a renewed
sense of urgency on facility upgrades. We have a great place to play but we
must continue to upgrade in order to remain competitive with other programs in
this region and in C-USA. These two projects keep us moving forward."

"I want to thank Chad Price of Carolina Green, Paul Bowne of
Kent Companies, R. John Tucker of Commercial Fabricators, as well as Tommy
Hughes and Warren Monk for providing the resources necessary to get the
projects completed. I also want to thank everyone who has donated to our Grand
Slam Club over the past few years. Every dollar goes directly back in to our
baseball program and allows us to make upgrades like these to our program."

Charlotte 49ers season ticket plans remain on sale for the
lower bowl, at a cost of $75, which includes admission to the conference
tournament. Ticket plans are available by contacting the Charlotte 49er Ticket
Office at 704-687-4949.